Shade-supporting device.



R. B. BENJAMIN.

SHADE SUPPORTING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 26. I912.

' 1,174,658, I Patented Mar. 7,1916.

,. n srans REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 BENJAMIN ELECTRIC MFG. COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SHADE-SUPPORTING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. '7, 1916.

Application filed. July 26, 1912. Serial No. 711,659.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REUBEN B.BENJAMIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shade-Supporting Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

My invention pertains to shade-supporting devices, and particularly to such as are employed in connection with electric lamp sockets.

It is an object of my invention to pro vide a shade-supporting device which will be of a simple and durable construction, which may be easily operated in order to insert or remove a shade, and which will be adapted to sustain shades of considerable size and weight.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a shade-supporting device having a plurality of supporting members with a means for definitely locking such members in supporting position, and it is still another object of my invention to improve upon the construction of shade-supporting devices generally.

A shade-supporting device, as employed in connection with a ceiling fixture of a kind which is susceptible of use in lighting railroad cars, is described in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawing. It is to be understood, however, that the invention may be employed in connection with other fixtures, and that changes may be made in the construction which is shown and described, without exceeding the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawingFigure l is a vertical section through a ceiling fixture provided with a shade-supporting device constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary inverted plan of the same; Fig. 3 is a detail section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1, and showing the manner of securing the clamping ring in its tightened position; and Fig. 4: is a perspective detail view of one of the shade-supporting tongues.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the following specification and the several figures of the accompanying drawing.

Referring now to the drawing, 10 designates a hollow ceiling fixture of a kind which is adapted for use in railroad cars. Extending across the top of the fixture 10 is'a metallic strap 11, a portion of the center of which is stamped down so as to form a bridge 12. Arms 13 project downwardly from the ends of the bridge 12 and receive the ends of screws 14 which serve to secure a lamp receptacle 15 in position. It will be seen that, by varying the nature or dimensions of the strap 11, the position of the receptacle 15 with respect to the mouth of the fixture 10 may be varied to suit lamps of different sizes and enable them to be brought into the proper relation with respect to the shade carried by the fixture 10.

.Secured, by means of rivets 16, to the lower part of the fixture 10, so as to extend downward. somewhat beyond the mouth thereof, are a plurality of shade-supporting spring-tongues 17 In the construction shown in the drawing, there are three of these spring-tongues. Each of the springtongues 17 is bent inwardly and then back upon itself, so as to form a flange 18 for engaging the neck of the shade. The metal of the tongue is extended at the lower part of the flange 18 so as to form upper lips 19, and is cut'and bent over so as to form a lower lip 20. The metal of the tongue is also cut and shaped so as to give an arcshape to the flange 18. The curvature of the flange 18. is preferably somewhat greater than that of the neck of the shade which is to be supported; and the metal is preferably cut away, as at 21, behind the ends of the flange, thereby giving a slight resiliency to the flange at its ends.

Mounted upon the mouth of the fixture 10, is a ring 22, for effecting the movement of the tongues. 17 into supporting position. The'lower part of the ring 22 is bent over inwardly so as'to form a flange 23. The'inner edge of the flange 23 is cut so as to form a plurality of spiral cam portions 24 of a number corresponding to that of the springtongues 17 which are employed' There are three of'the cam portions 24 in' the'embodiment of my invention now being described. The ring 22 is of such dimensions that, when it is mounted upon the mouth of the fixture 10, the cam portions 24 may be made to engage the shade-supporting tongues 17 between the lips 19 and 20 of these tongues. It will be seen that, when the ring 22 is rotated in a contra-clockwise direction (Fig. 2), the cam portions 24 will force the tongues 17 inward; whereas, when the clamping ring 22 is rotated in a clockwise direction, the clamping tongues will be permitted to move outward by reason of their resiliency. The fixture 10 is formed with an elongated slot 25 which extends circumferentially thereof for a distance which may be substantially equal with the length of one of the cam portions 2-1. A screw 26, carried by the clamping ring 22, passes through the slot 25 and enters an elongated nut 27 which is located within the fixture 10. It will be seen that, by tightening the screw 26, the clamping ring 22 will be secured against movement relative to the fixture 10.

In the use of the device, supposing that it is desired to insert a shade, the locking screw 26 is released, and the ring 22 is turned in a clockwise direction (Fig. 2) until the ends of the cam portions 24 strike the supporting tongues. In this position of the parts, the supporting tongues are at their extreme outward position, and the neck of the shade, designated 28 in the drawing, may be readily inserted between them. \Vhen the shade 28 has been inserted, the clamping ring 22 is rotated in a contra-clockwise direction (Fig. 2) until the flanges 18 of the supporting tongues 17 firmly engage the neck of the shade; and, when this has been done, the screw 26 is tightened, whereupon movement of the clamping ring, due to vibration or the like, is prevented, and the shade is firmly secured in position.

By reason of the shape which is preferably given to the flanges 18 of the supporting tongues, these flanges grip the neck of the shade securely, since the portions 21 which are cut away at the rear of the ends of the flanges, permit these ends to spring apart somewhat when they are pressed against the neck of the shade, thus enabling each flange to fit closely upon the neck of the shade. It is to be noted that the weight of the shade is borne by the supporting tongues 17, which, in turn, are securely riveted to the fixture 10, the weight of the shade being thus taken by the fixture, without the intervention of any parts which are liable to be come loose under the conditions of wear and vibration, the device being thus rendered capable of securely supporting shades of considerable weight even when subjected to considerable vibration.

The device is simple and may be easily manipulated when it is desired to introduce or remove a shade.

Owing to the device for locking the supporting-tongues, the shaking loose of the shade, due to vibration, is effectually prevented; moreover, the locking device permits the supporting-tongues to be locked in any desired position, and thus enables them to be definitely secured in their tightest clamping position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A tubular shade supporting device comprising a tubular member having a base at one end whereby it may be secured to the ceiling, a bridge member extending across said base end and secured to said tubular member, means supported by said bridge member for supporting a lamp socket within said tubular member and means at the other end of said tubular member and secured to said tubular member for engaging and holding a shade in position, said means including spring tongues supported by said tubular member and a. cam rotatably mounted on said tubular member for forcing said tongues into engagement with the shade.

2. A tubular shade supporting device having spring shade engaging tongues secured thereto and extending longitudinally thereof, and a rotatable member for forcing said tongues into engaging position, said tongues and rotatable member having inter-engag ing means for preventing movement of said rotatable member longitudinally of said tongues.

3. A shade supporting device having a plurality of movable shade engaging members and having a circular part, a member rotatably mounted on said circular part and having means whereby when rotated the shade engaging members will be gradually forced into engaging position, and adjustable means for varying friction between said rotatable member and circular part to hold said member in adjusted position.

4. A shade supporting device having a plurality of movable shade engaging members and having a circular part, a member rotatably mounted on said circular part and having means whereby when rotated the shade engaging members will be gradually forced into engaging position, and adjustable clamping means for causing friction be tween said rotatable member and circular part to hold said member in adjusted position.

5. A shade supporting device having a plurality *of movable shade engaging members and having a circular part, a member rotatably mounted on said circular part and having means whereby when rotated the shade engaging members will be gradually forced into engaging position, and adjustable screw means for causing friction between said rotatable member and circular part to hold said member in adjusted position.

6. A shade holder having a shade engaging finger of spring sheet material having a curved stamped shade engaging bead, the curvature of said bead being greater than the curvature of the part of the shade engaged thereby and means for causing said bead to engage the shade.

7. A shade holder having a shade engaging finger of spring sheet material having a curved stamped shade engaging bead, the curvature of said bead being greater than the curvature of the part of the shade engaged thereby, that part of the bead directly engaging the shade extending beyond the rest of the bead and means for causing said head to engage the shade. I

8. A shade supporting device comprising a one-piece tubular member of sheet material having a base at one end for fitting against a support, means secured to said tubular member for supporting a lamp socket therein, spring shade engaging tongues secured to said tubular member and extending longitudinally thereof, and a member rotatably mounted on the other end of said tubular member and having means whereby, when rotated, the shade engaging tongues will be forced into engaging position.

9. A shade supporting device comprising a one-piece tubular member of sheet material having a base at one end for fitting against a support, means secured to said tubular member for supporting a lamp socket therein, spring shade engaging tongues secured to and inside of said tubular member and extending longitudinally thereof, and a mem ber rotatably mounted on the other end of said tubular member and having means whereby, when rotated, the shade engaging tongues will be forced into engaging position.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN.

Witnesses:

MABEL REYNOLDS, C. E. KANE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

